Protocols are conventions or standards that control or enable the connection, communication and data transfer between two computer endpoints, wherein the word computer shall include all devices being able to receive and send digital code. These computer endpoints are defined by URL's in the form of a compact strings of characters, which can be used to represent a resource available on the Internet. Web applications are based on connection, communication and data transfer between such computer endpoints. On the server side application servers and other dynamic content servers such as Web content management systems provide content through a large variety of techniques and technologies typified by the scripting approach. Web browsers can operate on different languages, for example on HTML, XHTML, Javascript, Java, XML and XSLT. Widespread are Web applications with at least one computer endpoint in the form of a Web application server and at least one client computer endpoint with a Web browser.
Web applications with interactions of Web browsers and Web servers can use content description languages, for example HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), to display Web pages and to make requests. On the client side, the Web application access is typically initiated by using a Web browser (e.g. Mozilla, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera, etc). The Web browser sends a HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) request to the Web server in order to receive the HTTP response to the request. The response contains the content description language HTML which tells the Web browser what content to display and how to interact with the Web application, for example by displaying Web forms, Web links or other Web application content.
In modern environments, a Web application platform does not just provide static information to one user on the client side but the benefit of the platform is based on multiple users being registered and acting on the platform (not necessarily at the same time). Social network platforms for example make it possible to connect people on such a Web service platform. Another example are online auctions, where users offer goods for auctioning and others are buying them on the platform. Some Web service platforms also offer the exchange of goods (countertrade, barter) instead of selling them for money. On such auctioning or countertrade platforms it is typical that registered users have a rating based on the transactions they have performed on the platform so far (either in the role of a seller or of a buyer). Such a rating gives a potential buyer some information about the credibility, reliability or trustworthyness of the seller (or vice versa).
U.S. Pat. No. 7,401,025 B1 describes an online list that maintains a minimum criteria level for service providers to be listed. The list is easily accessible by the general public on the internet, or by printed text directories sold in bookstores. It can list not only the service providers credentials but may also provide a current up-to-date rating system by the users themselves. The list or service includes the following information of service providers: profile, duration of business, met licensing requirements, insurance coverage and customer experience references. The qualification information may be updated continually through service provider or consumer. Customers can enter on the web-site their individual experience rating for a listed service provider. This will be added to the rating summary in the database for that service provider. The service does only support the selection of a service provider but it does not support the interaction between provider and consumer.